How much experience do you need to be a computer network architect?

Howdy Luis,

I can say that becoming a network architect will take time, and the right diversity of experience. Industry-standard certifications are a plus and a requirement to a certain extent. If you want to be in the upper echelon of the group, it will require many years of experience with more than one brand/technology. At minimum you would need a CCNP to be successful with the basics (but don't explicitly seek certifications simply for the name). However, you will need well-rounded exposure to business needs and emerging technologies in order to fully understand what it is needed to properly architect a premium solution.

Architecting is more than just routing bits from one point to another - you must be able to prioritize, shape, restrict, secure, and guarantee different types of data over the same piece of copper/fiber/wavelength. There are many applications and services that have little tolerance for congestion/interference/faults. Different types of data may "fail" at different thresholds, physical points, etc... when compared to it's "next of kin".

Don't lose sight of your dream, but I would advise not to aim straight for where you see yourself in 20 years. If a network architect is what you feel you would love to do for the rest of your life, set more tangible, intermediate goals in front. Get a tech job, get a degree, get a few certs, constantly re-evaluate. Rarely these days is an IT career linear. You must be fluid, able to flow and adapt with the ever-changing environment and the new directions they bring. Do not become complacent in a position or company. Look for challenges and welcome being nudged out of your "comfort zone". Don't always be a "yes" man, but rather ask "why" and offer up solutions to be explored.

You will find your path, but the important thing to remember is to love what you do. Salary also varies by geographic region, so keep that in mind as well. Money is wonderful, but there will never be enough if you are in a role you dislike or become weary of - or if you work for a team/company with which you cannot relate. If you enjoy what you do and who you work with, it won't seem like work. I've been challenged almost everyday, and I enjoy it.

As with most careers in the new computer-based industries experience is something that can be gained while on the job. There is much less required experience to get a starting position in a tech related field than most other fields. This is due in part that most tech positions are relatively new and so don't have a lot of people with many years of experience applying for them.
The other reason for this is that there are much more open positions than people qualified to do the work so companies are much less likely to discriminate based on lack of work experience if you can show competency in the type of work you will be required to do.
Keep in mind that you would still have to have relevant degrees or certificates to get your resume looked at in the first place but once you have those you can be fresh out of college and still find a job, probably on the lower end of the pay scale, but we all have to start somewhere.

I agree with the comment above. To be come a network architect, there are a few steps needed before obtaining that title. It can start with a basic IT help desk position, then concentrating on network administration and engineering. A good start to network engineering is studying and obtaining certificates such as the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). I believe it takes about 5-10 years as a network engineer to have the experience needed to become an architect. The experience of course needs to relevant as I have seen plenty of network engineers with 10+ years of experience who are not able to fulfill the duties of an architect.

When designing computer networks, there are often many solutions, and as the architect it is your job to design the best fitting solution.

Luis,

Occupation Description:

As the name suggests, network architects are the individuals that design, build and sometimes maintain computer networks. People who choose this computer career are also often referred to as network engineers, and they specialize in creating custom networks that fit the specific needs of their clients. Given the high level of expertise required and the importance of having an optimized network, this computer career is difficult to get, but if you have what it takes you can earn a very high wage.

Salary:

The low end of the network architect pay scale is a salary of $52,580 a year. The median wage for this IT job is $91,000, and you could make as much as $141,590 per year. This is the highest paid computer job that we review. Just keep in mind that these numbers represent potential pay and actual salaries will vary depending on your experience, expertise and where in the nation you happen to reside.

Knowledge:

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  Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  
  


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  Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  
  


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  English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  
  


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  Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

  
  


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  Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

  
  

Skills:

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  Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

  
  


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  Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.

  
  


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  Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

  
  


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  Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

  
  


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  Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

  
  

Education and Training

Occupation: Computer Network Architects
Typical education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree
Typical work experience needed for a job in this occupation: 5 years or more.

Read more in:

http://www.careerinfonet.org
http://computer-careers-review.toptenreviews.com/network-architect-review.html

All the Best!!

Luis:
I began my career as a student extern on a help desk. 11 months later I was offered a position with the network team, graduated and never looked back. I consider a network architect to be the pinnacle of the technical side of network engineering and design. It can be very lucrative, but naturally it depends on your experience and aptitude.

I would say you'd want at least 10 years of experience in network operations/engineering, with constant training and pursuit of industry certifications. The more vendors and products you get experience with, the better.

I suggest you to seek the practical implementations of a Computer Engineer, look for certifications, webinars, stay updated about new technologies and study a lot. To be an architect would be understood as an engineer who already master IT skills based on a group of vendors, like Cisco, Palo Alto, Microsoft and VMware.